Despite having two nationalities and enjoying traditional meals from each, neither of my nationalities is renowned for its food: Portuguese food isn't well-known globally and British foods get slated on the daily. Following on from my post of Portuguese Foods You Must Try, I'm determined to spread the word of how good British dishes can be (and no, fish and chips, roast dinners, and English breakfasts are not all we have to offer).
Cottage/Shepherd's Pie
Starting off with a home-cooked special, we have the humble cottage pie (when made with beef) or shepherd's pie (when made with lamb). This is essentially a layer of minced meat followed by a layer of mashed potato on top, which is put into the oven and baked until golden. This was a classic school dinner dish and is often served in pubs or home-cooked and is the epitome of a comfort food.
Toad in the Hole
Similarly, toad in the hole is traditionally pub grub or home-cooked and consists of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter, often served alongside veg and gravy. This is very similar to another classic pub dish, Bangers and Mash, which is literally sausages served with mashed potatoes and gravy and tastes delicious.
Pie and Mash
Continuing on the theme of mashed potatoes with meat, we have pie. The most popular pie is probably a steak and kidney pie, however my go-to if I'm cooking is a chicken, leek and mushroom pie. Traditionally, pies are served with mash and gravy, however this is down to personal preference. We also have a traditional snack of a pork pie, which is very dense and calorific but tastes delicious.
Chicken Tikka Masala
This often comes as a shock to foreigners, however Chicken Tikka Masala was voted as the nation's favourite dish once upon a time (this is still a classic question in pub quizzes and always differentiates the Brits) and although this dish is often hailed as being Indian, it is in fact British.
Beef Wellington
This hearty dish is comprised of beef, pâté and puff pastry, and although I'm not a huge fan personally, it is fairly popular and originated in Britain.
Cornish Pasty
A Cornish pasty consists of meat, veg and potatoes encased in pastry, with one edge significantly thicker than the other. This is because back in the day, miners used to have this for lunch and would hold the thick crust and eat around it. These are often sold in train stations and service stations and are worth trying.
Scotch Eggs
Scotch Eggs are a classic British picnic food, and is essentially a boiled egg with meat wrapped around and encased in breadcrumbs. These are filling and are often eaten alongside cocktail sausages and mini sausage rolls during the summer months.
Afternoon Tea
I am partial to an afternoon tea (or high tea), and this quintessential British tradition can consist of various different components but always contains finger sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted cream, desserts, and of course, a pot of freshly brewed tea. I have to give a particular shout out to scones (another food of British origin), which are dense but are my favourite component in an afternoon tea.
Victoria Sponge
Although the sponge cake did not originate in Britain, the humble Victoria sponge did. This is a sponge cake with a layer of jam and cream in the middle. This is one of my favourite cakes and is well worth trying if you get the chance.
Banoffee Pie
Banoffee pie is very popular in Britain but I haven't seen it elsewhere; it consists of a biscuit base, a layer of caramel, a layer of sliced bananas, and whipped cream on top. This is a very rich dessert but is mouth-watering and is definitely a crowd-pleaser.
Eton mess
Eton mess is a fairly easy dessert to make and is usually eaten in the summer months. It comprises berries, meringue and whipped cream and can be as fancy or as messy as you want (the clue was in the name). My favourite version of this contains strawberries, however you can use any berries you want for this classic dessert.
Bread and Butter Pudding
Bread and butter pudding is a simple dessert and used to be known as a poor man's dessert as it was originally made using leftover, stale bread. Nowadays, the dish usually consists of buttered bread with different seasonings and sometimes raisins or chocolate chips, baked in the oven until it is soft and gooey. This is very hit-or-miss for me but when it's done right, it's very good.
Apple Crumble
Apple crumble is a favourite in Britain and was very often a dessert for school dinners. It comprises baked apples, which I'm not a fan of, however I do enjoy the crumble topping, which is mainly sugar, flour and butter.
Mince Pie
Mince pies are eaten over Christmas and during Advent in Britain, and contrary to what people often infer from the name, these pies contain fruits and spices on the inside (rather than meat). Although I'm not a fan of these, they are extremely popular and can be found high and low during the build up to Christmas. I will also quickly mention the Christmas pudding, which is also not to my taste as it contains dried fruits but is often set alight on Christmas Day (if covered in Brandy) and traditionally a coin would be placed in the pudding mix and whoever's slice contained the coin would be said to have good luck.
Sticky Toffee Pudding
Sticky toffee pudding is often included in the desserts of a Christmas menu and comprises sponge cake, toffee sauce, and often finely chopped dates. It is very rich but also very popular.
Many of Britain's favourite dishes are very hearty dishes and are best when home-cooked or served in a traditional pub. British foods are often slandered across the global stage, however I've found that the majority people haven't tried most (or even any) of them and solely base their opinion off of one or two classics. Instead, it's worth trying a selection of the foods above to see whether you can be swayed!
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